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 Vole FAQ - Vole FAQ like 'what does a vole look like' 'what do voles eat', 'what is a vole', 'what is the difference between a mole and a vole', 'what countries do voles live in' & 'how long does the meadow vole live are answered here.
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What is a Vole? A vole can be defined as a small rodent similar in appearance to a mouse. A look at the behaviour and characteristics that define what a vole is.
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What is a Vole?
The Wikipedia definition of a vole is: "a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body; a shorter, hairy tail; and smaller ears and eyes." This is true but to really discover what defines a vole you need to look at areas such as its classification, habitat and characteristics.
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Common species of vole like the field vole belong to the Microtus genus
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What is a Vole? - Classification
Voles are rodents that belong to the family Cricetidae, this is an extremely diverse family of muroid rodents. It is one of the largest families of mammals, with 681 species which also includes New World rats and mice, hamsters, and relatives.The genus within this family that includes the most common species of vole is Microtus. This is a group of voles found in North America and northern Europe and Asia. The genus name refers to the small ears of these animals.
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Voles live in burrows and runways
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What is a Vole? - Habitat
The majority of voles live in grassy areas but they can be found in a variety of environments such as rocky mountainsides, marshes, tundra and even trees. Like many other rodents voles are great burrowers, they live in networks of above-ground "runways" in grassy areas, as well as underground burrows. During the winter these "runways" are constructed through the snow that covers the ground.
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The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 Westminster College
- This page has further information that helps answer the question, what is a vole? people.westminstercollege.edu
Critter Control
- This page has lots more information about the characteristics that define a vole. www.crittercontrol.com
What is a Vole? - Diet
Voles are for the most part herbivores although they will occasionally eat insects. Their diet mainly consists of green vegetation such as grass, clover, sedges, seeds and leaves. They are also known to eat bulbs, tubers, shrubs and the roots and bark of small trees. This can cause conflict when populations live in close proximity to man and species like the meadow vole are considered a pest.
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Voles mostly feed on green vegetation like grasses
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What is a Vole? - Life cycle
The longevity of a vole changes slightly from species to species but on the whole voles are one of the shortest lived of mammals. Voles seldom live beyond a year and most do not survive more than two months. To counter their short life span voles have a condensed life cycle and individuals are sexually mature just a month after they are born. Breeding takes place all year round and females will usually mate immediately after giving birth.
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